Chapter 30.—Of the Perfection of
the Number Six, Which is the First of the Numbers Which is Composed
of Its Aliquot Parts.
These works are recorded to have
been completed in six days (the same day being six times repeated),
because six is a perfect number,—not because God required a
protracted time, as if He could not at once create all things,
which then should mark the course of time by the movements proper
to them, but because the perfection of the works was signified by
the number six. For the number six is the first which is made up
of its own
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parts,
i.e
., of its sixth, third, and half, which are respectively
one, two, and three, and which make a total of six. In this way
of looking at a number, those are said to be its parts which
exactly divide it, as a half, a third, a fourth, or a fraction with
any denominator,
e.g
., four is a part of nine, but not
therefore an aliquot part; but one is, for it is the ninth part;
and three is, for it is the third. Yet these two parts, the ninth
and the third, or one and three, are far from making its whole sum
of nine. So again, in the number ten, four is a part, yet does
not divide it; but one is an aliquot part, for it is a tenth; so it
has a fifth, which is two; and a half, which is five. But these
three parts, a tenth, a fifth, and a half, or one, two, and five,
added together, do not make ten, but eight. Of the number twelve,
again, the parts added together exceed the whole; for it has a
twelfth, that is, one; a sixth, or two; a fourth, which is three; a
third, which is four; and a half, which is six. But one, two,
three, four, and six make up, not twelve, but more, viz.,
sixteen. So much I have thought fit to state for the sake of
illustrating
the perfection of the number
six, which is, as I said, the first which is exactly made up of its
own parts added together; and in this number of days God finished
His work.
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And,
therefore, we must not despise the science of numbers, which, in
many passages of holy Scripture, is found to be of eminent service
to the careful interpreter.
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Neither has it been without
reason numbered among God’s praises, “Thou hast ordered all
things in number, and measure, and weight.”
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Or aliquot parts.
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Comp. Aug.
Gen. ad Lit
. iv.
2, and
De Trinitate,
iv. 7.
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For passages illustrating early
opinions regarding numbers, see Smith’s
Dict.
art.
Number.
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Wisd. xi. 20
.